Chicago Primer

Revisited: I left the intro of this primer blank, so I’ll say a little something (with a hope of returning in full [someday]). The band is now entering a 50th year. It’s been around forever…if, by ‘forever,’ you mean it’s been around since 1967. They’ve been excellent in each of their iterations, whether you enjoy their earlier years with Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, and a more obvious horn section––or the epic ballad swing of the second half of the 80s (or anything since).

If you lack a sense of how longstanding (or outstanding) they are, consider their last number one song, “Look Away,” also reached the zenith of the Billboard Hot 100 as THE number one song of 1989. Inconcievably, Chicago’s most famous release is anointed number one 22 years after their formation. Lemme spell that out in case you haven’t realized how long this is: twenty-two years! I haven’t even been on Earth for 22 years. Oh, wait––I’m 27.